The fact it actually worked has to seal the coach-of-the-year trophy for Jim Barker, the man who wanted to generally manage the Blue Bombers this year, but was turned down by the big thinkers in the Bomber boardroom.

And it sets up the most anticipated post-game handshake since former Winnipeg boss Doug Berry raised his middle finger in salute of Don Matthews while the former Montreal coach tilted the scoreboard on him a few years back. We don’t recall that one leading to blows, but maybe this one will.

Barker was less than impressed with the Alouettes’ Marc Trestman after Trestman blew off a handshake a couple weeks ago. Now, the two go head-to-head in the East Final.

Barker has proven what we’ve suspected all along: that strong coaching and team chemistry can win over talent. Paul LaPolice, feel free to take notes.

That alone won’t be enough to get the Argos to the Promised Land, though.

The Alouettes beat themselves about once every decade, so Lemon and Co. are actually going to have to put up some points to keep Cinderella in action.

Over in the West, Berry’s sporadic offence, now being practised in Saskatchewan, figured things out in time to lead the Riders past the B.C. Lions.

We didn’t hear any Winnipeg shots emanating from the Riders locker-room, but with Berry, Bob Dyce and Jim Daley on the staff, Brendan Taman in the GM’s chair and Barrin Simpson, Dan Goodspeed and Ryan Dinwiddie in uniform, it may as well be the Big Blue alumni in the West Final.

If only the Bombers had won even half their close ones and grabbed the crossover spot in the West. The mind boggles at a Winnipeg-Saskatchewan playoff tilt and the subplots that would have accompanied it.

Hell, we would have settled for third place in the East, and a date with the Ticats’ Glenn, Greg Marshall and Khari Jones, three men whose spurning by the Bombers has caused much ink to be spilled in this space.

Alas, we have to settle for a spot in front of the tube, yet again, with our cheers, our beers and, yeah, a zinger or two for good measure.